Ninja 12-Cup Programmable CE251 Review

The Ninja 12-Cup Programmable CE251 uses a cone filter and brews anywhere from a single cup to a full 12-cup pot of coffee. It comes with some of the most important programmable features, including pre-infusion. It also manages to brew a perfectly good cup of coffee at a reasonable price.

Performance Comparison

Taste

A myriad of factors can affect the taste of brewed coffee, including every process of the drip machine itself. Our qualified team of taste testers each sampled the best of what the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable CE251 could put out, and they recorded their thoughts. The results show that the Ninja produced well-balanced coffee in terms of both flavor and mouthfeel.

After sipping, slurping, and smelling, our testers agreed that nutty and fruity notes blossomed from the brew more than any other. This brewer was able to draw out some surprisingly complex flavors. A bit of earthiness was detected as well, as was a hint of lemon freshness and a touch of bittersweet chocolate. All of this was expressed in a balanced way across the palate, with a lingering, brightly acidic finish that capped off the experience nicely. Our testers each enjoyed a satisfying, invigorating cup of coffee. However, I did find the flavor to be bordering on intense, and the acidity was close to being sharp.

Brew Quality

To determine brew quality, I drove two hours down to near sea-level and measured the brew temperature of five batches of coffee back to back to find the average.

The Ninja held a steady average of 191.6°F, which is close to the preferable range but didn't quite reach ideal temperatures, according to the guidelines of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). This varied just a degree or two from one brew to the next, giving us pot after pot of consistent flavor extraction.

I do love that there is a pre-infusion option to help keep extraction of the grounds even. In addition to the Classic mode, there's also a Rich button, which made the coffee slightly stronger, though the difference was minimal and hard to taste. I noticed that the hot plate didn't heat the coffee further after sitting for an hour. In fact, it cooled by 10°F over the course of an hour.

Water distribution, which I determined by the saturation of the grounds after brewing, was impressively even — better than many other comparable machines we've seen. The included cone-shaped reusable basket is metal and plastic, which can alter the taste of the coffee just a little. Still, the Ninja 12-Cup gave us a delicious cup of coffee and performed noticeably better than most.

Brew Time

Brewing time was fairly inconsistent throughout our testing, which is not very ideal. But, overall, the Ninja 12-Cup gave us an acceptable, though somewhat slow, average brewing time of 7 minutes 48 seconds. Over the course of five consecutive brews, the Ninja brewed as fast as 7 minutes flat to a much slower 8 minutes and 18 seconds.

This level of variance isn't a deal breaker, but it would be nice to see consistent times that would more reliably provide the same level of flavor extraction. As most users will brew just a single pot of coffee, this type of inconsistency is less of a big deal than brew temperature variation. It would be great if it brewed a bit faster — as it stands, this is one of the weak spots of the Ninja.

Ease of Use

I found the Ninja quite easy to use; just add your filter and grounds, add water, press Classic or Rich, and then press the brew button. The machine beeps when the brewing cycle is through; just another little detail we appreciate seeing. The programmable features each have their own separate buttons, meaning no confusing menu to learn, and you always know exactly what settings you are working with.

The machine can be programmed to make a fresh pot of coffee at any time within a 24-hour period, so you can wake up to the smell of fresh coffee in the morning. This feature is extra appreciated in this particular model, as its first brew (while the machine is still cold) tended to take longer than most other machines — well over 11 minutes. If you just need a quick dose, there is a convenient small batch option for brewing under four cups, and the sneak-a-cup feature works great, allowing you to snag a cup if you just can't wait for brewing to finish.

The hot plate also has a timer setting, so it can keep your coffee hot for up to four hours. If the timer isn't set, the hot plate will turn off on its own after two hours, giving you peace of mind if you are in a hurry and forget to turn it off.

The water reservoir is on the right side, which may be difficult for left-handers. The tank is convenient to remove, with perfectly placed indents to hold onto. The tank is roughly 6.5 inches long and is narrow in the front by the interface but gradually widens to around 5.5 inches by the rear. There are also water measurements on the tank but not on the carafe. The machine brews whatever you put in — from one to twelve cups of coffee.

The glass carafe has a handle grip large enough for most hands to fit comfortably, and we loved how smoothly it poured. The lid has a little mini-twist on and off, and it shows quite obviously at the top when it's been locked properly. The lid can be a bit finicky to put on just right, but we didn't mind it too much. The included measuring spoon is a lot smaller than most others. It's unclear if this is a different process or a more honest measurement of coffee grounds.

I love that pretty much all of the Ninja parts and pieces are dishwasher-safe. The permanent filter, glass carafe, brew-through lid, removable filter holder, water reservoir and lid, and scoop are all dishwasher safe, making cleaning so much easier than some other models. Daily handwashing of the carafe was a breeze as well. The opening is large enough that we could easily get a hand in to wash it.

The main unit, showerhead, and water reservoir shelf wipe down easily with a wet cloth. The hot plate does collect coffee drips that will then burn, so it could need a bit more rigorous regular cleaning maintenance.

Descaling took us a little over minutes from start to finish, which is a perfectly acceptable amount of time for this process. There is a separate descaling button, making the whole thing pretty straightforward. I appreciated that descaling was simple, and the machine itself was easy to clean, especially with so many dishwasher-safe parts and pieces.

Should You Buy the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable?

The Ninja 12-Cup gave us a consistently tasty cup of coffee brewed at optimal temperatures. With its easy-to-learn interface and just enough customizable features for a reasonable price, the Ninja 12-Cup is a drip coffee maker that doesn't disappoint. It is affordable, easy to clean, and easy to use. The Ninja 12-Cup is a fantastic option for anyone looking for that perfect cup of drip coffee.

What Other Drip Coffee Makers Should You Consider?

The Ninja 12-Cup gives great customization for an unbeatable price, but there are other options out there to appease the coffee connoisseur chasing that perfectly personalized flavor. Those looking for a high-end coffee maker with nearly limitless coffee customization potential should consider the Breville Precision Brewer. It's hands-down a more capable machine — you can adjust everything from the brewing temperature to the drip flow rate in order to fine-tune your coffee to how you like it. But while both these machines can make really good coffee, they can't hold a candle to the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT, which makes an unbeatably delicious and balanced brew. With its one-switch operation, it's super easy to use, and it'll simply make supremely good coffee every time you use it.